


Into the Woods

by leaf (cinderholly)



Series: Warrior Cats REWRITTEN: Arc 1 - A Change in Flames [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderholly/pseuds/leaf
Summary: As the days go by, the young tom cat Rusty is feeling more and more out of place in his home, Bloodclan, a rogue clan that relies on the knowledge of twoleg cities. He has his friends and foster family to look out for him, but when he is given the realization that it's not quite what he wants, it is up to him to decide what to do. Will he leave Bloodclan in search for a new home, one much more wild and free? Or will he remain ruminating in his feelings of alienation?Meanwhile, young Thunderclan apprentice Sandpaw is excelling at her training, when all of a sudden her father has been killed in a battle against Riverclan. While she struggles to comprehend the reality of all of this, a newcomer shows up on the same day, and she is furious to think any outsider could possibly understand what it's like to be a clan warrior. Time goes on, until one day Sandpaw soon discovers that there is a dark secret running through the heart of her clan... what will she do?-This is a rewrite of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter.
Series: Warrior Cats REWRITTEN: Arc 1 - A Change in Flames [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108136
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Allegiances

**Note:** _An_ ***** _indicates a trans cat._

**ALLEGIANCES**

**THUNDERCLAN**

**LEADER:** **Bluestar** \- muscular blue-gray molly with a white locket and green eyes

**DEPUTY:** **Redtail** \- small tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes, a white locket and a distinctive red tail*  _ (Apprentice: Dustpaw) _

**MEDICINE CAT(s):** **Spottedleaf** \- small tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes, white paws and a distinctive dappled back

**WARRIORS:**

**Patchpelt** \- black-and-white tom with yellow eyes

**Leopardfoot** \- black tabby molly with green eyes

**Rosetail** \- silver tortoiseshell-and-white molly with yellow eyes and a bushy red tail  _ (Apprentice: Graypaw) _

**Lionheart** \- large ginger tabby tom with green eyes and thick lion-like fur

**Robinwing** \- brown molly with a ginger locket and amber eyes

**Whitecloud** \- longhaired white tom with faint gray patches and yellow eyes  _ (Apprentice: Sandpaw) _

**Willowpelt** \- longhaired high white red-black tortoiseshell molly

**Tigerclaw** \- big brown tabby tom with amber eyes  _ (Apprentice: Ravenpaw) _

**Nightwhisker** \- lithe black molly with green eyes (p: Nightkit)

**Mistpelt** \- pale gray molly with yellow eyes (p: Mistkit)  _ (Apprentice: Cherrypaw) _

**Darkstripe** \- longhaired gray tom with black stripes and amber eyes

**Volefoot** \- pale brown tabby tom with green eyes (p: Runningwind)

**Mousefur** \- small dusky brown molly with yellow eyes

**Snaketail** \- pale brown tabby tom with dark markings and green eyes (p: Longtail)

**APPRENTICES:**

**Cherrypaw** \- dark tortoiseshell molly with yellow eyes

**Dustpaw** \- brown-and-white tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Ravenpaw** \- skinny black tom with a white locket and tail-tip

**Sandpaw** \- pale tortoiseshell molly with green eyes

**Graypaw** \- longhaired gray-and-black tom with yellow eyes

**QUEENS:**

**Speckletail** \- dappled cream tabby molly with green eyes; oldest nursery queen

**Goldenflower** \- dappled cream tabby molly with warm golden eyes and a long bushy tail, mother of Swiftkit

**Frostfur** \- longhaired high white tortoiseshell molly with yellow eyes, mother of Cinderkit and Brackenkit

**Brindleface** \- sleek silver marbled tabby molly with green eyes

**ELDERS:**

**Smallear** \- silver tom with amber eyes

**Halftail** \- big dark brown tabby tom with half his tail missing

**White-eye** \- high white pale tortoiseshell molly with blue eyes; blind and partially deaf

**Dappletail** \- dappled tortoiseshell molly with yellow eyes

**SHADOWCLAN**

**LEADER:** **Brokenstar** \- longhaired brown tabby tom with big amber eyes and a flattened muzzle

**DEPUTY:** **Blackfoot** \- black tom with high white and yellow eyes _(Apprentice: Dawnpaw)_

**MEDICINE CAT(s):** **Dapplefang** \- longhaired mostly-gray tortoiseshell molly with cream dapples and yellow eyes and a flattened muzzle (p: Yellowfang)

**Marshcloud** \- small gray-and-white tom with yellow eyes (p: Runningnose)

**WARRIORS:**

**Nightpelt** \- skinny black tom with green eyes and battle scars

**Wolfstep** \- dark gray tabby tom with green eyes  _ (Apprentice: Littlepaw) _

**Foxheart** \- dark ginger tabby molly with green eyes

**Rowanflower** \- tortoiseshell molly (p: Rowanberry)

**Nutwhisker** \- brown tom with amber eyes

**Stumpytail** \- dusky brown tom with green eyes and a cropped tail  _ (Apprentice: Poppypaw) _

**Clawface** \- longhaired brown tabby tom with a heavily scarred face

**Boulder** \- pale gray tom with green eyes

**Russetfur** \- dark ginger molly with green eyes  _ (Apprentice: Darkpaw) _

**Fernshade** \- tortoiseshell molly with green eyes

**Flintfang** \- pale gray tabby tom with yellow eyes  _ (Apprentice: Rainpaw) _

**Ratclaw** \- dusky gray tom with a scarred pelt and green eyes (p: Ratscar)  _ (Apprentice: Brownpaw) _

**Snowpool** \- small white molly with green eyes (p: Snowbird)

**APPRENTICES:**

**Poppypaw** \- long-legged tortoiseshell tabby molly with green eyes

**Darkpaw** \- black tom with yellow eyes

**Brownpaw** \- dark brown tom with yellow eyes

**Rainpaw** \- pale gray tom with yellow eyes (p: Wetfoot)

**Littlepaw** \- small cream tabby tom with white patches and yellow eyes

**Dawnpaw** \- small cream tabby molly with blue eyes

**QUEENS:**

**Duskfur** \- dusky gray molly with green eyes (p: Darkflower)

**ELDERS:**

**Hollyflower** \- black-and-white molly with green eyes

**Featherstorm** \- brown tabby molly with yellow eyes

**Poolcloud** \- pale gray-and-white molly with green eyes

**Archeye** \- slim black tom with amber eyes

**WINDCLAN**

**LEADER:** **Swanstar** \- very tall, skinny black-and-white tom with yellow eyes (p: Tallstar)

**DEPUTY:** **Deadfoot** \- black tom with a twisted front paw

**MEDICINE CAT(s):** **Barkface** \- longhaired brown tom with yellow eyes

**WARRIORS:**

**Cloudleap** \- longhaired pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes (p: Cloudrunner)

**Tawnyfur** \- dark ginger molly with yellow eyes

**Doestep** \- thin apricot tabby molly with green eyes (p: Doespring)  _ (Apprentice: Robinpaw) _

**Ryestalk** \- sleek gray tabby molly with yellow eyes

**Stagleap** \- muscular brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Darkfoot** \- black tom with white paws and yellow eyes

**Pigeonflight** \- pale gray-and-white tom with green eyes

**Sorrelstrike** \- pale tortoiseshell molly with white patches and green eyes

**Flypelt** \- white tom with yellow eyes

**Bristleclaw** \- dark gray tom with yellow eyes  _ (Apprentice: Whitepaw) _

**Wrenflight** \- brown molly with yellow eyes

**Rushtail** \- cream tabby tom with blue eyes

**Mudclaw** \- muscular black tabby tom with green eyes

**Tornear** \- pale brown tabby tom with shredded ears and yellow eyes  _ (Apprentice: Webpaw) _

**Ashfoot** \- sleek dark gray molly with green eyes

**Onewhisker** \- skinny pale brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Lilystep** \- pale gray tabby molly with green eyes (p: Runningbrook)

**APPRENTICES:**

**Webpaw** \- dark gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Robinpaw** \- brown molly with green eyes

**Whitepaw** \- white molly with green eyes and few black markings

**QUEENS:**

**Morningflower** \- tortoiseshell molly with green eyes, pregnant

**ELDERS:**

**Oatwhisker** \- dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

**RIVERCLAN**

**LEADER:** **Rainstar** \- huge pale brown tabby tom with green eyes and a twisted jaw (p: Crookedstar)

**DEPUTY:** **Oakheart** \- muscular warm brown tabby tom with green eyes

**MEDICINE CAT(s):** **Mudfur** \- brown tom with green eyes

**WARRIORS:**

**Petalstream** \- calico molly with blue eyes

**Sunfang** \- bright ginger tabby molly with yellow eyes (p: Sunfish)

**Beetleclaw** \- black tom with amber eyes  _ (Apprentice: Grasspaw) _

**Otterleap** \- sleek ginger-and-white molly with yellow eyes

**Reedtail** \- silver tabby tom with green eyes

**Skyheart** \- pale brown tabby molly with striking blue eyes  _ (Apprentice: Silverpaw) _

**Sedgecreek** \- brown tabby molly with amber eyes

**Dawnwhisker** \- ginger tabby molly with white patches and yellow eyes

**Leopardfur** \- golden tabby molly with unusually dark dapples and green eyes

**Mistyfoot** \- blue-gray molly with green eyes  _ (Apprentice: Eelpaw) _

**Stonefur** \- dark gray tom with green eyes, white paws, and shredded ears  _ (Apprentice: Shadepaw) _

**Acornflower** \- brown tom with yellow eyes (p: Loudbelly)

**Iceclaw** \- black tom with white paws and green eyes (p: Whiteclaw)  _ (Apprentice: Mosspaw) _

**APPRENTICES:**

**Silverpaw** \- silver tabby molly with blue eyes

**Mosspaw** \- brown-and-white molly with green eyes

**Shadepaw** \- black molly with green eyes

**Eelpaw** \- tortoiseshell molly with green eyes

**Grasspaw** \- pale brown tabby tom with green eyes

**QUEENS:**

**Brambleflower** \- brown tabby molly with white markings and green eyes, pregnant (p: Greenflower)

**ELDERS:**

**Graypool** \- pale gray molly with blue eyes

**Fallowtail** \- pale brown molly with blue eyes

**BLOODCLAN**

**LEADER:** **Scourge** \- small black tom with one white paw and icy blue eyes; wears a purple collar (studded)

**DEPUTY:** **Brick** \- tall lanky ginger tabby molly with bright yellow eyes*; wears a yellow collar (studded)

**HEALER:** **Saturn** \- long-furred white molly with blue eyes; wears a green collar

**HUNTERS:**

**Ice** \- black and white tom with blue eyes; wears a blue collar (studded)

**Scatter** \- cream tabby tom with a lazy eye and lower canine sticking out of his mouth; wears a blue collar (studded)  (p: Pounce)

**Violet** \- cream tabby molly with blue eyes; wears a blue collar (studded)

**Moon** \- gray cat with a white chest, stomach, and tail-tip, a white marking on their forehead, and green eyes*; wears a blue collar (studded)  (p: Tess)

**Snipe** \- lanky black tom with rusting markings and yellow eyes; wears a blue collar (studded)

**Scraps** \- mottled tortoiseshell-and-white tom with green eyes; wears a blue collar*

**Rusty** \- small fluffy black tom with rusting fur and orange eyes; wears a blue collar

**PROTECTORS:**

**Bone** \- big muscular black and white tom with amber eyes; wears a red collar (studded)

**Snapper** \- battle-scarred calico tom with yellow eyes; wears a red collar (studded)

**Claw** \- black tom with yellow eyes; wears a red collar (studded)

**Snake** \- black and white tom with an underbite and blue eyes; wears a red collar (studded)

**Coyote** \- brown tabby tom with green eyes; wears a red collar (studded)  (p: Willie)

**Fury** \- long-furred ruddy ginger tabby molly with dark amber eyes; wears a red collar

**Gremlin** \- patchy tortoiseshell-and-white molly with green eyes; wears a red collar

**QUEENS:**

**Minty** \- gray molly with light blue eyes and a white chest and underbelly; wears a white collar; mother of Snowflake, Cloudy, Sniff, and Icicle

**Dotty** \- tortoiseshell molly with pale green eyes

**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS**

  
**Barley** \- black-and-white tom with yellow eyes; loner that lives on the farm by Windclan territory


	2. Prologue

The gentle swishing of water crawled up and down the riverbank. It was the only sound that could be heard in casual observance. Among the trees that gave way to a clearing not too far from the river on one side, pawsteps quietly padded over the cooled grass. The silhouettes of whom these pawsteps belonged to - cats - were silent and moved with precision. Their eyes reflected the moonlight’s glare, only with a seriousness that couldn’t be mistaken.

As they came to the edge of the forest, they made their appearance known by climbing up onto a bunch of rocks. The cats stood close together, as if to form a sort of protective band for each other. Their ears pricked and moved as the river splashed unevenly, and bodies covered by the night’s darkness slithered up the riverbank from the other side like snakes. It was more cats, and their coats shone with wetness. They wasted no time, and soon, what was previously a calm and restful forest, was now alive with spitting and snarling.

On one end a black tabby tom wrestled with a damp silver tom. His amber eyes gleamed and his ears were flattened against his broad head. A furious growl made his muscles ripple, his one forepaw coming up and gripping the back of his opponent’s head. He brought down his head and slammed it into the ground. To his surprise, the silver tom’s claws had found their way onto his flank as he fell, raking them across. The tabby hissed with frustration but did not wince.

Before he could retaliate, he heard a cry not too far from him. His head turned and he spotted a brown molly with a deep gash in her leg. Her back was arched and her tail fluffed up, but she seemed to be trembling, struggling to hold herself up.

“Mousefur!” the dark tabby tom called. Turning to give his opponent one last blow, this time to the chest, he separated from him and raced toward the molly. Her own opponent, a molly much too big for her, was cornering her.

He leapt up onto the unassuming cat’s back. A yowl escaped her and she spat with rage, but was cut off with a grunt as the tom delivered a strong bite just below her scruff. It wasn’t enough to kill her, but enough to get the brown molly to safety, even for a brief moment. He nodded to her, indifferent to her expression.

His muscles tightened yet again, preparing to fight once more. This time, a tom with bracken-colored fur and more appropriate for his own size crashed into him, knocking him back onto the ground. The tabby spat as he felt a stinging slash of claws move across the bridge of his nose. He gave his head a swift shake, blood spattering onto the ground and onto his opponent.

“Oakheart! How dare you hunt in our territory?” the tabby tom demanded.

Oakheart hissed as Tigerclaw swung at his shoulder, the flesh ripping open in the process. He stepped forward and glared at the tom. “After tonight, Tigerclaw, Sunningrocks will belong to Riverclan, as they rightfully should!”

Tigerclaw growled. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see more dripping-wet Riverclan warriors climbing up the bank and past the great boulders that were being fought over. There were many of them, more than he’d anticipated.

But confident and determined not to give up, strength overrode him. He slammed his paws into Oakheart’s chest, unsheathing his claws as they flipped positions. “Your warriors may swim like otters,” he said, “but you are fools if you believe Thunderclan will let you so boldly claim what is not yours!”

As he prepared to give the Riverclan tom a wound he would not forget, he was interrupted by a tortoiseshell tom with a tail as red as fox fur.

“Tigerclaw, there are too many warriors,” said the tom breathlessly. “We need to retreat.”

Tigerclaw hesitated. He switched glances between the tortoiseshell and Oakheart. The Riverclan tom had a condescending glint in his eyes, and it made him even more furious. “No,” he hissed, setting his paw down. “No, Redtail. Thunderclan can’t give up now!”

“Your courage is admirable, but we can’t afford to lose more warriors over land,” Redtail pointed out. “We will win another day.” Turning towards the Thunderclan cats, he yowled, “Thunderclan, retreat!”

The cats of Thunderclan heard his command, and split off from their opponents. They raced away from the battlefield and into the forest. Redtail watched them go, following not long after. Staying behind was Tigerclaw, his eyes dark as he broke away from Oakheart.

At first, the Riverclan cats seemed confused. Then when they’d realized they had won, they erupted into cheers. Tigerclaw watched his last opponent go join his clanmates. He hopped onto the boulders they now claimed, congratulating his warriors.

Tigerclaw looked away, hearing the infuriating victorious meows of the enemy clan warriors behind him. He snorted contemptuously and followed the trail his own clanmates had taken, not wishing to waste any more time.

He glanced up at the night sky, pausing in his steps. Suddenly, a brilliant light flashed across the inky darkness overhead, and his eyes squinted in surprise. A deep emotion stirred within him - one he had not felt for a very long time - and he was forced to suppress a purr. The stars had spoken to him, their shine louder than any warrior’s battle cry.

“That was for me, wasn’t it?” he whispered, breathless. He knew his truth now, his destiny, his everything. He’d been made for greatness. Yet there were many obstacles still in his way. He tried not to tremble as dark thoughts crossed his mind - but were they really dark? _I’ll save this forest. I’ll lead them all to greatness._

Chin held high, he continued on the way home.

**\--- EARLIER THAT MOON ---**

Atop a jutting boulder, placed into the sandy ground, sat a tall and muscular molly. Her usually gray fur was bathed in silver from the moonlight, and her green eyes were clear. But they were fixated on the stars, studying them, in search of something greater. She could not pinpoint what she was searching for, but the churning in her belly urged her to persist.

All was silent. She could hear the sounds of sleeping cats, tucked away in their dens, hidden well from intruders. Their snores were the only thing that betrayed it, their breathing gentle and steady. All were asleep, except for one cat, who slipped out from the shadows hiding her own den.

Her pawsteps were fast and silent. “Bluestar?” she whispered, but loud enough to be heard. The molly on top of the boulder - Bluestar - turned in surprise to glance down at the tortoiseshell molly. She gave an approving nod, and with ease the smaller cat drew herself up beside her, sitting comfortably. 

Still, though, Bluestar noticed that the molly’s gaze seemed discomforted. She shifted from one hind paw to the other, and her ears twitched. “Spottedleaf, is everything alright?” she asked gently.

“Oh, yes,” Spottedleaf replied. “I’m sorry. It’s just… I believe that I’ve received an important message. From Starclan.”

Bluestar’s eyes widened. _Starclan? But they’ve been silent for moons… what do they have for us?_ Unable to contain her curiosity, she leaned forward. “What did they say?”

“Few words were shared,” Spottedleaf explained. “But it was a sight to behold. On my journey home from collecting herbs, I caught sight of a brilliant shine stretching across the sky. It was the loveliest thing I’d ever seen, and I’d realized just how small I was in that moment.” Her eyes focused on the stars above as she continued. “Perhaps my excitement overwhelmed me, but I swear, I heard the tiniest whisper…” The medicine cat then turned and stared straight at Bluestar, her expression serious, and said: “ _Flames that burn the brightest red can save our clan._ ”

The words made Bluestar’s breath hitch. _Flame?_ What good did flame bring to the forest? All it did was destroy, from what she knew... and all the clans, not just her own? She furrowed a brow in confusion and anxiety. She forced the fur on her neck to lie flat. “What… what do you think it means?” she asked.

Spottedleaf returned to her gentle state. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “But we must have hope, for a good outcome regardless.”

Bluestar sighed and a smile formed on her face.

“You are right, Spottedleaf,” she said. “We must have hope.”


	3. CHAPTER ONE

The sun was just starting to set as a party of cats with some carrying prey in their jaws wandered down a lone alleyway. Its rays bled through the trees and the gaps between buildings, the sky growing darker with it, save for the tint of pinkish-orange it formed just above the horizon. Rusty’s black pelt was brightened to a reddish tint in the evening glow. It soon faded to full black as he padded into the shadows with the rest of the hunting party.

He was at the head of the group with another cat beside him, another black tom but with one white paw. He was about the same size as Rusty, which was small for his age, but he carried himself with confidence. The tom gave him a nudge and Rusty glanced curiously at him.

“Watch this,” he meowed.

Rusty fixed his eyes on the tom and kept steady watch of his movements. They had reached the back of the alleyway, and there was a metal fence blocking them from reaching the inside. Originally, they had left their camp through an easier route, one that didn’t block off cats like the alleyway fence did.

The tom raised himself onto his hind legs, grabbing onto the fence with his forepaws. He then used his hind legs like a spring and jumped up onto the metal fence. It wobbled and Rusty heard a few scratching noises as the tom moved and gripped onto it strongly.

But with ease, he was able to climb up the fence, and then reach the top. A heartbeat later he jumped down onto the other side. Then he turned and faced Rusty, who stood with wide eyes and a nervous tail flicking from side to side.

“Now you try,” the tom said.

Rusty felt his belly lurch. He glanced back at the other cats behind him. They looked at him expectantly, as if they hadn’t known it was his first time doing anything like this.

He didn’t want to keep them waiting. Looking back in front of him, Rusty stared up at the top of the fence for the moment. It looked so high up, he wondered if he could really do it.

_No, I can do this,_ he thought. Puffing out his chest and holding his chin high, he padded forward, lifted himself onto his own hind legs, and stretched out his forepaws. He unsheathed his claws and felt them curl onto the metal wire. Then he dragged up his hind legs behind him, letting them get a grip too. Rusty didn’t even notice his eyes were closed until he had stopped moving.

He didn’t want to look down, no matter how far off the ground he really was. He continued pulling himself up, gradually climbing faster. Occasionally he would lose his footing for a moment and then catch himself.

Despite his mind telling him it had taken too long, it felt over in only a few heartbeats. Rusty had reached the top of the fence at last, and, with his instincts, held himself with one leg behind the other, his tail high. “Look, Scourge!” he mewed. “I did it! Look!”

“That’s great, Rusty,” Scourge called. “Now you have to jump down.”

Oh, Rusty thought. He swallowed. He’d forgotten that part.

“Just swivel your body forward, facing me, really fast, then jump down. It won’t hurt and you’ll catch yourself. You’re a cat.”

“Right…” Rusty blinked. “Okay.”

Doing exactly that, he snapped his body forward. Then he launched himself forward, too, down, stretching out all his legs. Scourge moved out of the way immediately, and then Rusty felt his paws make contact with the hard ground at last. At first, it was hard, but then it felt smooth.

“You did it,” Scourge meowed. “Great job.”

Rusty’s fluffed-out tail twitched with excitement. “That was so nerve-wracking! I can’t wait to do it again, and again, and again!” he breathed. His mind was reeling and his senses were alive. He turned back and watched the others make their way over the fence with ease.

Scourge touched his flank with his tail-tip. “I know you will.”

“Oh, is the hunting party back already?” meowed a familiar voice.

Rusty looked behind them and saw a tall, lanky molly with fur as red as a fox make her way up to Scourge fast like a snake.

“Indeed we are, Brick.” Scourge dipped his head.

Brick’s amber eyes scanned Scourge and she looked over to the fresh-kill pile. The cats who had made their way over the fence were adding their catches one by one, and then after they would return to their friends and kin.

She turned and looked down at Rusty, who suddenly felt very small under her hot gaze. Despite her relaxed stature, he could tell there was something deeper to her, something working the muscles of her brain. He sensed it was geared towards him. “Have a good day hunting, Rusty?”

Rusty swallowed. “Uh… yeah,” he stammered.

“I don’t see you caught anything,” Brick mewed, tilting her head to one side.

Embarrassment swelled through Rusty. He felt as though thousands of eyes were laid upon him, even though there really weren’t. “No,” he muttered sheepishly.

Scourge stepped between them. “It was a day of observation,” he meowed carefully. “Today was Rusty’s first day out on a hunting party. I didn’t want to pressure or overwhelm him, so I said he can just watch the others and take in what they do.”

A hard silence passed between them all. Finally, Brick hummed, giving away neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction. She turned and padded away silently, off toward the fresh-kill pile to pick something out for herself.

Rusty breathed out a sigh of relief. He looked at Scourge, grateful. “Thanks,” he said.

“‘Course,” Scourge replied. “She can’t challenge me. I’m the leader, right? I know what I’m doing.”

Rusty’s whiskers twitched in amusement and nodded. Brick was the deputy, and she had to act as such… but to test him like that when Scourge was the one who kept Rusty on his paws was stepping over the line a bit. Of course, Brick had her good days and her bad days, and on her good days she was great to be around. But today seemed like a neutral day. Rusty did not want to push the bar to the bad side.

Scourge led him across the camp and they dipped their heads in greeting to cats they’d pass; hunters and protectors, young and old. Bloodclan - the name of their overall community - had its members divided into roles. Most cats took on the role of a hunter or a protector, depending on where their skills could be greater. However, there were also queens: cats who took care of the young. There was a healer, too, and her name was Saturn; her duty was to heal sick or injured cats back to normal health.

Bloodclan’s camp was set in the back of an abandoned apartments’ parking lot. Their home was protected by a tall wired fence that formed a rectangle on all sides except the one the apartment was attached to, only continuing between the gap of it and another building for about four tail-lengths. The ground inside camp was hard, made of what humans made their roads of; but there were a few patches of moss and tussocks of grass that sprouted through the cracks of the smooth yet hard ground.

Dens were important, too. Cats slept on either side of camp, within burrows hidden behind stalks of grass and shielded by brambles. They gathered moss and a couple feathers to make their own nests. Sometimes, cats would sleep in the same nest, if there was no extra available or they were mates.

There was more, but to put it simply: their lives were hard. Their ancestors, realistically, spent their time in human nests, being taken care for by them. They had lost quite a few of their natural abilities that had been passed down for eons before then, due to no longer needing them, and so their descendants did not carry on those abilities either. It made surviving outside the care of humans hard, but it made them feel like they were going back to their roots again as wild animals; even if it did involve them scavenging through trashed human foods and using abandoned human creations as shelter.

It made Rusty feel strong, even if he was just a hunter. He had to admit that he would’ve liked being a protector better, as that meant he would be able to fight off any threats if they dared to pose themselves. But Scourge had told him that his skill lie more in hunting than it did in fighting, and he would be able to see that someday. _I hope he’s right._

They stopped at the fresh-kill pile and Rusty quickly picked out a sparrow for himself. He and Scourge parted ways as they headed for their other friends. Rusty looked around, unable to scent his friends due to the overwhelming smell of sparrow in front of him.

“Rusty!” called a familiar voice. “Over here!”

He turned his head to the side and spotted a tortoiseshell molly flicking her tail at him. She sat with another tortoiseshell, a tom, who was most definitely her brother. Rusty eagerly bounded over to them, seeing that they were sharing a plump rabbit.

“Hey, Gremlin, Scraps,” he greeted them as he sat down.

Gremlin, the molly, beamed excitedly as Scraps took a bite out of their shared prey. “We were wondering when you were gonna get back,” she purred. “Scraps was so bummed that he couldn’t go on the hunt, he almost cried.”

Scraps coughed out a bone. “Shut up!”

“Oh, no,” Rusty laughed. “Well, don’t worry. You didn’t miss too much.”

“Really?” Scraps asked. “Why d’you say that?”

“Eh.” Rusty took a bite of his sparrow, pausing and savoring the mouthful for a moment. He swallowed a few heartbeats later and looked back at his friend. “I didn’t get to catch anything. I mean, the prey is running well as usual, but Scourge insisted I sit back and watch.”

Gremlin wrinkled her nose. “That’s weird,” she murmured. “If I had to sit and watch everyone else hunt, I think I’d be more invested in how the prey will taste than how it’s caught, you know?”

“Yeah,” Rusty sighed. “I don’t know. I get where he’s coming from, but I just wish he’d let me experience it for real.”

Suddenly a shadow appeared from the outside of a den’s entrance. “Experience what?”

Rusty lifted his head away from his meal and spotted a dark ginger molly pad out of the ferns. She sniffed the air and her head turned to meet his eyes with her own. “Oh, you,” she muttered.

“Great,” Scraps whispered.

“Hi, Fury,” Rusty greeted calmly. He pushed his food toward her. “Do you want this sparrow? I don’t mind sharing.”

Fury made her way over to them, pausing as she loomed over Rusty. Her amber eyes flamed with an emotion that couldn’t be determined. Then, a smirk grew on her face, and she swiped the sparrow out of her way. “Not if you didn’t catch it!” she taunted, bumping his forehead with her own.

Rusty quickly pulled away. “What gives?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

“I heard that whole conversation,” Fury said. “I just wanted to interrupt.” She sat down and grabbed the sparrow, plucking a few feathers off with her sharpened claws. She then bit down and ripped a chunk of flesh out of it, chewing it loudly. “You know, Scourge is only holding you back because he thinks you’re weak.”

“What?” Rusty gasped.

Gremlin stood up. “That’s not true!”

“Oh, but it is.” Fury smiled innocently. “Maybe he doesn’t think you’re weak, but he definitely doesn’t want you getting hurt. Physically and emotionally. That’s why he won’t let you fight, and that’s why he won’t let you practice hunting on hunting parties.”

Rusty flattened his ears against his head. She’s talking out of her tail. “Then he can just train me one-on-one,” he argued.

Fury threw back her head and yelped with laughter. “Oh, please,” she breathed. “Bloodclan doesn’t train their cats one-on-one. We’re community. We learn from everyone and we teach everyone. If you need to be trained one-on-one, you’re no more than an embarrassment.”

Tense silence hung in the air. Rusty didn’t know what to say, or to think. He wanted to believe that Fury was lying; she does that sometimes, and she can be mean to everyone. But this was specific, even for her. Why would Scourge think Rusty wouldn’t be able to fend for himself at all? If he couldn’t, then he wouldn’t be in Bloodclan at all.

“You know, Fury, just because your mom is the deputy doesn’t mean you get to talk down your denmates,” Scraps piped up.

Fury growled, her tail spiking. The fur on her spine rose and she whipped around to glare at the tortoiseshell tom, her pupils narrowed to slits. “This is _not_ about my mother,” she spat defensively.

Scraps shrunk under her, his own eyes wide. He pressed his back against Gremlin, who looked helplessly at Rusty.

Sighing, Rusty got up. “All right. That’s enough,” he said. He stepped between Fury and Scraps. “This started with me. It’s over now, okay? Let’s not make this harder than it has to be.”

He looked at Fury, silently communicating a warning to her. She stopped growling, though her eyes were still narrowed, and took a few pawsteps back. “Whatever.” Grabbing the sparrow with her teeth, she took it and left without another word.

Rusty moved away from Scraps, watching Fury pad away. Anxiety had started to chew at him from the inside out, thinking about all that she had said. Was it true? _No, it can’t be. But what if it is?_ _The likelihood of it being true is very low. But there’s still a chance. Yeah, but there’s a greater chance that it’s not true. Doesn’t mean there isn’t a possibility of the opposite, though._

Scraps sighed in relief. “Thanks, Rusty,” he said. He laughed nervously. “Yeesh. She sure is scary like Brick-- ow!” He cut off as Gremlin nudged him. “What-- oh.”

Rusty felt their gazes on him, but it couldn’t ease the festering of unwanted thoughts. Gloomily, his tail lowered to the ground and he made his way into their den without saying goodnight. He figured that Gremlin and Scraps understood, as they made no effort to stop him. He appreciated it, but deep down he wished they would have tried.

He curled up in his nest. It didn’t even feel comforting, as he’d caught sight of the extra lining of feathers that Scourge gave him the day before. Was he being too soft on Rusty intentionally? It was something he wanted to ask the Bloodclan leader, but felt terrified of doing so. Scourge would probably reject that idea entirely. Rusty should be glad and hope that it’s the case, but… knowing the rejection would be done due to the stupidity of the question, the thought only hurt instead.

_Why am I even considering that what Fury says is true?_ Rusty asked himself, frustrated. _It’s clear as day that she’s wrong. Scourge cares about me. Not too much, not too little. Just… enough. He cares enough that I don’t need to worry._

He began to focus on his surroundings, in all ways which he could sense. Slowly his thoughts began to subside and he grew comfortable, a drowsy calm enveloping him, until the darkness was inviting.

* * *

Rusty’s eyes blinked open. Taken aback, he stumbled, realizing he was standing instead of laying down. Confusion swept over him but quickly he found his footing. Still, his confusion would not ebb away in the slightest.

He wondered where he was. There was no abandoned parking lot, no buildings, no fence, no cars racing past. It was a vast field that seemed to stretch as far as his eyes could see. The long blades of grass were tall enough that they seemed to tower over him, but perhaps that was only because he was small. Rusty glanced around and found no trees in sight, no pathways, nothing. Only when he looked up above was he truly breathless.

The stars were endless. They were inviting, warm, welcoming, and he could feel them shed their cool light on him. With every star he saw, there only seemed to be more that would appear. Rusty had never seen this many stars, not in the city. There were swirls of them, splashes of them, distant clouds sweeping them together into clusters and lighting some of them up brighter than others.

“Wow,” Rusty breathed. He could barely hear his own voice over the sheer emotion at seeing the night sky stretching beautifully across.

As he gazed up, never feeling the urge to blink or look away, he noticed a pattern in the stars. They were the ones that blinked instead, in a rhythm that formed shapes and colors. He watched, mesmerized, as they created an outline of a being that Rusty didn’t have the mind to recognize during that moment. But they didn’t stop, and soon it became clear.

A bright light sparked before him. Yelping and falling back in surprise, Rusty shut his eyes, still being able to sense the light above him. A sharp ringing sound hummed in his ears and he carefully squinted one eye open. Looking at the night again, he saw something he could have never expected.

He was a cat, and his pelt was translucent against the sky. He floated, stretched overhead just as the sky itself was. Stars lined his figure and his eyes were without pupils, their amber glow staring deep into Rusty. His fur was mottled, that of a tortoiseshell’s, and his tail was a striking color similar to a fox’s own coat.

Rusty let his other eye open and he took in the sight entirely. He was astonished, and couldn’t form any words. If he did say anything, though, he couldn’t hear it. The ringing was drowning out all other sound. He could guess it was coming from this cat.

But suddenly, the ringing stopped. It was abrupt, yet Rusty barely had time to register it; for the ghostly cat’s eyes seemed to dig deeper into him as his mouth opened, only to speak:

_ “Be not afraid, Rusty.” _

* * *

A rush of cold surged through him as Rusty’s eyes were met with darkness, a deep gasp for air escaping him. His head was lifted, along with his chest, the rest of him laying in his nest. He realized he was back in Bloodclan’s camp and his heartrate dropped back to normal.

Glancing around, he saw Gremlin, Scraps, and Fury all comfortably laying in their own nests. Each of them were fast asleep, their breathing steady. Rusty frowned, wishing he was in the same state as they were.

His thoughts jumped back to his dream. What in the world was that about? He’d never seen such a cat, if that even was what it was… perhaps it was Gremlin and Scraps’ mother, Dotty. She had nursed Rusty alongside the two twins. He knew she wasn’t technically his real mother, as she had told him herself awhile back, but he still thought kindly of her. It didn’t mean he would dream of her, though… especially in such a ghostly fashion. She didn’t have a tail like the cat in his dream, either.

Rusty’s head ached with confusion. _I need to go for a walk,_ he thought. Deciding that was a good idea, he quietly got up, stretched, and made his way past the brambles of the den.

The whole of the camp was asleep, with not a cat on guard. He thought it was surprising, as a cat is always on guard. Still, he was thankful, not wanting to be caught and questioned for getting up in the middle of the night. A walk would be a good excuse, as it is honest, but I don’t want to test it.

He slipped out of camp through the way the hunting patrol had left earlier, instead of climbing the fence that shielded it from the path out into the city. The easier way would lead to the forest, and Rusty wanted to try it out. _What’s the harm?_ He felt pulled to it.

Rusty quickly and quietly raced through the field of grass. Thankfully his black pelt made him no more than a camouflaged shadow at night. He soon reached a grove and padded along the trees, not wanting to be seen despite his chances. The grove led to the forest, which opened up after a short while. The sight activated Rusty’s senses and he could smell an abundance of prey, waiting to be caught by cats like him. Eagerly he decided he would try out hunting for himself.

Slipping into the bushes on one side, Rusty opened his mouth and let the scent of prey flow to him. He waited for a couple moments until it finally worked. Not wanting to startle it, he fixed his stare on the ground in front of him.

On the other side, not too far, he saw a rustling of grass and shrubs. Rusty pricked his ears and sure enough, the high-pitched squeaking of mouse could be heard on that end. Slowly he made half his way out of the bush, crouching low. He made sure his paw steps were quiet enough. Then, readying himself, he gave a powerful spring and leaped forward, reaching out for the mouse and clamping his mouth over the space between his paws.

But instead of a tiny, warm body, there was nothing.

Looking to the side he saw the mouse scamper away into the bushes. Rusty cursed to himself, frustrated, and he kicked the dirt with a forepaw. His mind went back to Fury’s comments from earlier. _Maybe she is right,_ he thought miserably.

He had no time to judge that, though. He was distracted by another sudden rustle of bushes. Rusty stilled and looked around, until he spotted a dark shape hiding in the gaps between two tall trees. He could barely react as those amber eyes staring at him jumped out toward him, paws stretched out and claws unsheathed.

Rusty fell onto his back as the weight of his opponent hit him hard. He lifted his hind legs and churned the enemy’s belly, spitting in his face. He snarled as the opponent growled and claws struck his cheek, blood spattering and blinding him in one eye. Rusty hissed and gave them a rough kick, raising his forepaw and reaching out to slash at them. They missed easily and he cursed again. Still confident, however, he got up quick and leaped onto them, not wanting to run away now.

Adrenaline rushed through him as he leaned in and bit his opponent on the shoulder. He pulled back before they could retaliate and covered their muzzle with his paw, his claws unsheathed. He was thrown off balance though by their own powerful kick, much greater than his own. Claws raked his lower back and teeth clacked at his tail-tip. Their fierce snarl was enough to tell him he was no match, and that sent him running.

He could still sense his opponent and knew that they were chasing him. He didn’t know which way he was running, if he was going deeper into the forest or leaving the forest. But deep down, Rusty still wanted to fight. He felt like he had something to prove. He wasn’t sure why, nor was he sure how, but he felt like he did.

Snarling furiously, he spun around and faced his opponent. He felt their weight knock into his, but instead of battling him, they simply collided with him and fell back. Confused, he shook out his fur and kept his muscles tense.

It was then he realized that his opponent was a tom cat, the same age as him.

He didn’t want to underestimate this cat, though. He kept his stance challenging. But to his surprise, the tom got up, shook his own fur out, and began to clean himself.

_What is this?_ he wondered. Shock rippled through him. The cat was washing the spots Rusty had got him - albeit very minor - and was acting as though nothing had just happened. When he turned back, his own demeanor was calm, but Rusty gave a warning hiss.

“Good fight!” he mewed. “You can calm down now.”

In disbelief, Rusty paused. He then felt his tail fluff up with anger. “ _You_ attacked _me_!” he growled. “How do you expect me to calm down?”

“Nuh-uh,” the gray tom said, shaking his head. “You were on my clan’s territory. No rogue escapes these claws!”

“Your clan?” Rusty echoed. “I’m not a rogue! I’m part of a clan, too.”

His former opponent glanced at him curiously, as though he were examining him. “You don’t smell of any of the other clans,” he said. “You stink like rogue. Rogue or city cat, I can’t tell them apart.”

Rusty stared back. “I guess you could say I’m a city cat.” He shrugged. “But I’m also a Bloodclan cat.”

“What in the world is _Bloodclan_?” the gray tom blurted. “I’ve never heard of that in my life. Sounds made up, like a rip-off of the four clans here.”

_Four clans?_ Rusty had absolutely no idea what this tom was talking about. But he had to acknowledge that his own words were also not being understood at all. “First of all, it’s not made up,” he said. “I’m a hunter of Bloodclan. Second, four clans? I’ve only heard of my own.”

“Explains a lot, since you’re a city cat,” the young tom mewed. Ignoring Rusty’s glare, he sighed and sat down. “Okay, so, I’m a Thunderclan apprentice. I’m training to be a warrior. My name is Graypaw. Thunderclan is obviously the best clan in the entire forest, otherwise you wouldn’t be meeting me.” He winked at Rusty. “There’s three other clans, though: Shadowclan, Windclan, and Riverclan. They and Thunderclan scents are all easy to recognize because they’re unique, and I’ve had the chance of meeting cats from the other three.”

Rusty struggled to reiterate all the names of the clans. Graywhatsit had a complex name, it sounded like. The whole of him was gray, why just his paws?

“I’m only out here ‘cause tonight is my training assessment,” Graypaw continued. “It’s my first! I might be in trouble, though, if they find I’m talking to a rogue.”

“I’m not a rogue!” Rusty corrected. “And who’s ‘they’?”

“Right, sorry.” Graypaw smiled awkwardly. “I’m talking about my leader and mentor.”

Rusty wrinkled his nose. These other clan cats have mentors? He remembered what Fury had said about one-on-one training and it made him feel silly to even think that she was right that cats need to be trained by several others. Graypaw clearly meant he was being trained by one cat only, and he was exceptional already.

“So… what’s your clan like?” Graypaw asked.

“Oh. Um, well, we don’t really have mentors,” Rusty mewed, deciding it would be good to start with that. “We’re sort of taught by everyone in the group we’re assigned to, which is hunters or protectors. There’s also a healer. We have a leader and a deputy, too, and queens.”

Graypaw sniffed. “So you are a rip-off, just trying to make yourself seem unique.”

“No we’re-- okay, you know what? Maybe.” Rusty sighed. “But I like it!”

Graypaw laughed and pawed at him. “Relax, I’m just messing with you,” he purred.

Rusty looked at him and felt warm with embarrassment.  _ Mouse-brain! _ He felt a little guilty, defending Bloodclan, and saying that he liked it; because right now, he wouldn’t be too hesitant to say that he didn’t like it. The guilt only multiplied from there.

“Graypaw?”

The sudden voice made him almost jump. Graypaw hitched his breath. “That’s my mentor, hide!”

Rusty scampered quickly into the same bush he had been in to find that mouse before. He peered through it and saw Graypaw switch over to pretending like he was actually doing something. The sight was amusing, but he tried not to make a sound.

Two cats then appeared from in front of Graypaw. One of them was a brilliant silver tortoiseshell tabby molly, her tail a warm red. Rusty thought of his dream. _No, that’s not it,_ he thought almost instinctively. He was a tom, and definitely darker.

The other was also a molly, her fur a solid gray turned silver in the moonlight. Her green eyes were illuminated softly and spoke silently of wisdom earned through age. She was regal in the way she presented himself. _That must be Thunderclan’s leader,_ Rusty guessed.

“Hello,” Graypaw said calmly, bowing before her and his mentor.

“No need to act so innocent, Graypaw,” the regal molly said. She looked straight at Rusty, then ordered: “Come out, now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates every thursday :] if u wanna see more of me my tumblr is @sanguinarius!

**Author's Note:**

> updates every thursday!!
> 
> my tumblr is @sanguinarius if u wanna follow me anywhere :] ! its my main blog though so i dont post JUST wc there but.. yeah hehe


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